St. Augustine Grass Care Guide

St. Augustine is the default lawn in Florida and the Gulf Coast for a reason — nothing else handles shade this well or fills in this thick. The catch: you can't seed it (sod or plugs only), chinch bugs treat it like a buffet, and one bad scalping can leave you with bare dirt. Treat it right and it's gorgeous. Treat it like bermuda and you'll be laying new sod by fall.

Mowing

Maintain St. Augustine at 3-4 inches — the highest mowing height of any warm-season grass. This helps shade the soil, retain moisture, and suppress weeds. Never remove more than one-third of the blade length in a single mowing.

Fertilization

St. Augustine needs 2-4 lbs N per 1,000 sq ft per year. Apply starter at greenup (soil 65°F+), then 0.5-1 lb N every 6-8 weeks during active growth. Iron applications can enhance color without excessive growth.

Chinch Bugs

Chinch bugs are the #1 pest for St. Augustine, especially during hot, dry summer conditions. They suck plant juices and inject a toxin that kills the grass. Look for irregular yellow-brown patches that expand outward. Treat with bifenthrin when damage appears.

Take-All Root Rot

TARR is a fungal disease specific to St. Augustine in zones 8-10 that attacks during spring wet conditions. Preventive azoxystrobin plus peat moss top-dressing is the standard treatment protocol.

Weed Control

Atrazine is the standard broadleaf herbicide for St. Augustine. It is safe at label rates and handles most common weeds. For sedges, use SedgeHammer (halosulfuron). Avoid MSMA and organic arsenicals.